#Authenticity In Ads: Exploring Effects of Perceived Authenticity, Model Size, and Social Cues on Body Image State, Social Media Engagement

• In Event: To Understand Communication and Social Networks I

Abstract

While criticisms exist about the use of airbrushed images, scholarship has not addressed whether an authentic (not airbrushed) image of a model may be beneficial to body image at the time of exposure and encourage engagement with an advertising campaign via social media. This study also employs theorizing on social cues, the number of likes on an Instagram post, to denote popularity of the person in the image in an effort to add context to the complex issue of body image state in relation to media images (in particular, images on Instagram). Additionally, we examine basic model size differences as context for the airbrushed images and potential effects on participant’s body image state. A sample of expected results are posited.

Authors

• Heather Shoenberger, University of Oregon

• Eunjin Kim, Southern Methodist University

• Erika Katherine Johnson, East Carolina University

• Nicole Smith Dahmen, U of Oregon